Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Manchester United want Joao Felix; Blues retain interest in Raphinha, and more - March 24, 2023
Chelsea are expected to return to the market at the end of the season to further bolster their squad. Graham Potter's side are tenth in the Premier League after 27 games, despite investing heavily this season.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are interested in on-loan Atletico Madrid attacker Joao Felix. Elsewhere, the Blues have retained their interest in Raphinha. On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on March 24, 2023:
Manchester United want Joao Felix
Manchester United are keeping a close eye on Joao Felix, according to AS via The Metro.
The Red Devils are long-term admirers of the Portuguese and were interested in securing him on loan in January. However, they balked at Atletico Madrid's demands, and the 23-year-old ended up joining Chelsea. Felix has seen his stock rise since his move to Stamford Bridge, thanks to a series of impressive performances.
Felix has two goals in nine appearances for the Blues and has been among the best players in the team. The London giants are considering keeping him permanently at the club but don’t have a buy option in his loan deal. Chelsea are expected to knock on Atletico’s doors for the player at the end of the season.
However, the Blues will have to ward off competition from Manchester United, who have never stopped monitoring the player. However, his £80 million valuation could deter the Red Devils, who are prioritising a move for a proven goalscorer this summer.
Chelsea retain Raphinha interest
Chelsea have retained an interest in Raphinha, according to journalist Simon Phillips.
The Blues wanted to sign Raphinha last summer, but he opted to move to Barcelona instead. However, the Brazilian could leave the Camp Nou this year despite enjoying a stellar debut season in Spain. The 26-year-old has appeared 38 times across competitions for the Blaugrana, registering nine goals and nine assists.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Phillips said that the London giants are keeping a close eye on Raphinha ahead of the summer.
"Yeah, this is one to watch for sure. I was told months ago that Chelsea were still keeping tabs on Raphinha, even after he joined Barcelona. He was fairly close to joining Chelsea at one point before Barcelona came in," said Phillips.
He added:
"Many at Chelsea still like him. Obviously, he chose Barcelona; they were his dream, and he made that pretty clear publicly as well, but Chelsea have still been there."
Only Robert Lewandowski (15) has scored more goals in the league than Raphinha for the Blaugrana this season.
Blues could sign Rafael Leao for reduced fee this summer
Chelsea could sign Rafael Leao at a bargain price this year, according to Napoli Magazine via Sport Witness.
The Blues failed with a €120 million offer for the Portuguese last summer, with Milan rejecting their advances. However, that decision has come back to haunt the Rossoneri. The 23-year-old hasn’t signed a new deal yet with the Serie A giants, with his contract expiring in less than 18 months.
If Milan fail to tie him down to a new deal, they could be forced to offload Leao for a cut-price deal at the end of the season. The Portuguese has appeared 35 times across competitions for the Serie A giants this season, amassing nine goals and ten assists. The Blues could secure his services for around €70-80 million this summer.